State Election Commissioner stresses free, fair and peaceful Gram Panchayat polls

State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha addressing the media at the Collectorate in Tirupati on Saturday.

State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha has said that elaborate arrangements are being made to ensure that Gram Panchayat elections across the State are conducted in a peaceful, free and fair manner.

He stressed the need for close coordination between District Collectors and police officials to ensure that the upcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) and Gram Panchayat elections are held without any untoward incidents. Every candidate should be able to file their nomination freely and every voter should be able to exercise their franchise without fear, he said.

Speaking to the media here on Saturday after a review meeting with Superintendents of Police (SPs) of 12 districts, Mr. Punetha said preparations were under way in a systematic manner. Several meetings had been held with senior officials of the Panchayat Raj and Municipal Administration Departments, District Collectors, SPs, Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officers and District Panchayat Officers to chalk out a comprehensive action plan.

Ward-wise electoral rolls had been finalised and handed over to the concerned authorities. Polling stations had also been identified, with certain locations categorised as sensitive and highly sensitive.

The SEC said the Gram Panchayat elections would be conducted in three phases. The notification for the first phase was issued on November 13, while the notification for the second phase would be issued on November 16.

He said steps were being taken to complete every stage of the electoral process within the stipulated timeframe. Security arrangements in areas prone to law and order problems had also been reviewed.

Of the 777 Gram Panchayats identified in Tirupati district, around 200 were expected to witness unanimous elections. If more panchayats were elected unanimously, additional police personnel earmarked for election duty could be redeployed to other sensitive areas.

However, the process of unanimous elections should be entirely voluntary and transparent, without intimidation, pressure or coercion, Mr. Punetha said.

He directed the police to review security arrangements in sensitive areas and deploy additional forces wherever necessary.